An engineer by trade, Blount is best known as a shipbuilder and cruise operator. His Warren shipyard, currently operating under the name Blount Boats Inc., has created over 300 hulls including famous NY Harbor Circle Line ferries and his industry-changing stern trawler, the Narragansett.
Known in the travel industry as the “father of small ship cruising,” he designed, built and operated a fleet of US Flag overnight expedition-style ships for over 41 years, currently operating as American Canadian Caribbean Line Inc. The line is renowned for cruising off-the-beaten path North American waterways to areas traditionally only accessible by private yacht. His Bay Queen Cruises operates several dinner boats on Narragansett Bay and has become a Rhode Island institution.
He was a graduate of Barrington High School (RI) (1935), Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA (1937) and received honorary doctorates from Roger Williams University, Rhode Island College, Bryant College, University of Rhode Island and his alma mater Wentworth Institute of Technology.
His keen interest in design led to many successful inventions including patents for thread design, adjustable pitch propellers, water conserving marine toilet, and more. He is celebrated for his remarkable retractable pilot house and bow ramp ship designs. One of his most notable inventions was a steaming process to open clams that revolutionized the clam processing industry. His most recent invention, the Blount Water Walker, a flotation aid for fly fishing, allowed him to continue the thrill of solo wilderness fishing as an octogenarian.
Biographical Timeline of
Capt. Luther Hammond Blount
One Shipyard Lane, Warren, RI 02885
1916 Born, Warren, Rhode Island, September 5
First born child of Willis Eugene Blount and Ruth Gibbs Blount
1919 Brother (Francis) Nelson born
1932-1935 Designed and built 16-foot kayak out of pine and canvas
Converted row boat into sail boats with original design
Built several small sailboats
1935 High School Diploma from Barrington High School, Barrington, RI
1937 Associate Degree, Mechanical Design, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA
1937 Dippy Duck Widdle Shop, Warren, RI. Created small hand carved duck jewelry pins out of wood for wholesale to NYC department stores.
1937 Oysterman, E.B. Blount & Sons Oyster Company, Warren, RI. (Grandfather’s business) Farmed oysters from leased beds in Narragansett Bay
1938 Machinist, Berkshire Hathaway Mill, Warren, RI.
1939 Jewelry Designer, Dieges and Clust, Providence, RI
1939-45 Plant Engineer, Belding, Heminway & Corticelli, Putnam, CT.
Invented nymo thread with team which revolutionized sewing thread construction.
1943 Met and married Mary Ellen Hustad of Minneapolis, MN in Danielson, CT
1945 Son Willis Eugene born (Bill)
1945 Discharged as Private from U.S. Army, Camp Lee, St. Petersburg, VA.
Milled lumber and operated small dairy farm in Putnam, CT
1946 Project Manager, Blount Seafood Corporation, Warren, RI (Brother’s business) Invented, designed and supervised construction of steam clam process equipment, allowing mass production of clams for chowder companies. A revolution in the clam processing industry.
1947 Daughter Marcia Lynn born
1947-49 Moved to Warren, RI. Becomes Vice President of E.B. Blount & Sons., Warren, RI. Managed oyster operations.
1949 Daughter Joanne Davis born
1949 Entrepreneur, Warren, RI
Commenced building steel oyster boats and other commercial vessels.
Developed new shipbuilding methods such as lofting in place, which paved the way for shipbuilding operations with very limited equipment.
1951 Daughter Nancy Ellen born
1952 Founded Blount Marine Corporation, Warren, RI
1953 Daughter Julie Elizabeth born
1953 Blount Marine designed and built Miss Liberty, for NY Circle Line, the
longest continuously operating passenger ferry in the United States
1960 Started experimenting with oyster culture.
1961 Invented American Stern Trawler. Listed as one of the 3 most outstanding improvements of the 20th Century in commercial fishing by Commercial Fisherman magazine.
1964 Blount Marine Corporation builds 100th vessel
1966 Established American Canadian Line, Warren, RI. Small overnight cruise ship that takes guests on coastal and canal vacations.
1967 Brother Nelson dies in airplane crash in Dublin, NH
1974 Divorced Mary Ellen; married Jane Kennedy Munafo
1974 Blount Marine Corporation designed and built Le Bateau, first dinner ship in America.
1974 Created Rentacruise Inc., family business that operates dinner ship departing from Warren, RI on Narragansett Bay. Le Bateau, renamed Le Nautique.
1976 Blount Marine Corporation builds 200th vessel
Hulls to date include fishing, passenger, tug, offshore oil supply, and small cruise ships.
1977 Blount Marine Corporation designed and built the first Bay Queen dinner boat for Rentacruise to operate on Narragansett Bay
1979 Produced 4,000,000 juvenile oysters that were given to R.I. D.E.M. and planted in various spots of Narragansett Bay.
1984 Divorced Jane
1986 American Canadian Line Inc. changed name to American Canadian Caribbean Line Inc. to better reflect itineraries traveled.
1989 Blount Marine Corporation designed and built the Vista Jubilee. Rentacruise begins operating this dinner boat on Narragansett Bay.
1999 Founded Renew the Resources of the Bay Foundation now Narragansett Bay Resources Foundation, to foster and support development of marine resources in Narragansett Bay, particularly, shellfish resources.
2000 Retired from Blount Industries, completed 303 vessels with 2 vessels currently under construction. Leased shipyard to James Barker.
2001 Retired from Presidency of American Canadian Caribbean Line
Daughter, Nancy E. Blount named president, Luther remains Chief Executive Officer
Donated $300,000 to University of Rhode Island for Aquaculture Research Lab
2002 Designed and built Blount Water Walker, a flotation aid for fly fishing.
Pledged one million dollars to the historic town of Warren, Rhode Island, to help
purchase public access dockage.
2003 Left retirement at age 86, returns to shipbuilding and starts Blount Boats Inc.
2003 Survived house fire by climbing out window, not forgetting suit for ceremony to receive
Honorary Doctorate degree from Roger Williams University
2003 Founded all-trombone orchestra called, “Ocean Bones”
2004 Partnership with Roger Williams University for aquaculture study at Jenny Creek, Prudence Island. Donated $1 million dollars to Wentworth Institute of Technology.
2005 Wentworth Institute of Technology dedicated auditorium to Luther H. Blount
2005 At ages 89 and 86, respectively, Luther and Mary Ellen reunite and start dating again.
2005 Roger Williams University announced Blount aquaculture marine sciences building
2006 Donated M/V Niagara Prince (est. value $6.5 million) to Rhode Island College, Roger Williams University and Wentworth Institute of Technology.
2006 Furthered financial commitment to Shellfish Restoration Foundation of Narragansett Bay
2006 Celebrated 90th birthday, a personal milestone
2006 Died September 24 at Rhode Island Hospital
